News
What happens when a tiny police abolitionist group finds itself with $29 million?
Black Visions Co-Director Kandace Montgomery took the stage in shorts and a T-shirt at Powderhorn Park on June 7, 2020 — 13 days after George Floyd died under Derek Chauvin’s knee. She stood in front of large, white block letters spelling out “DEFUND POLICE.” Montgomery declared, “Minneapolis, we’re here because now is the time to dismantle […]
Minnesota job vacancies up, labor market improving
Job vacancies went up 14% in the last quarter of 2020 compared to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “These job vacancy numbers show us there’s a lot of opportunity in Minnesota right now,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. The state […]
‘The first of many’: Democratic redistricting group files preemptive lawsuit in Minnesota, Pennslyvania, Louisiana
A Democratic activist group helmed by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has struck an early blow in what’s expected to be a brutal, nationwide legal battle over congressional redistricting, filing lawsuits in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, asking the judiciary to be ready to step in if mapmakers deadlock. The lawsuits came just hours after […]
Biden to order $15-an-hour minimum wage for federal contract workers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order Tuesday to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers to $15 an hour, according to senior administration officials. The order will go into effect Jan. 30 of next year, according to a fact sheet provided by the administration. Once in place through new […]
Just enough: Minnesota will retain eight congressional districts
WASHINGTON — After months of delays, the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday gave states part of the critical data needed to redraw their U.S. House boundaries: an updated tally of how many people live within their borders, and the number of House districts that each state will have for the next decade. Minnesotans — especially politicos […]
Minnesota will keep all eight U.S. House seats, Census announces
Minnesota will keep all eight of its seats in the U.S. House, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday. The news from the 2020 Census count came as a surprise, since the North Star State has long been projected to lose a seat due to its slow-growing population. Dropping from eight to seven congressional seats would […]
Senate holds hearing about youth sports guidance during the pandemic
Minnesota Senate Republicans convened a hearing Monday to discuss state guidance on youth sports, after COVID-19 exposures resulted in missed games for some teams this spring. Parents and athletes told the Senate Education Committee that the chain of command for COVID-19 regulations in sports has been unclear, causing confusion. Regulation of youth sports has been […]
Corrections officer under investigation after Stillwater incident with Black protestors
A 26-year-veteran of the Minnesota Department of Corrections is on leave after a Sunday incident in which his wife used the N-word at protesters gathered in Stillwater. Activists — many of them Black Minnesotans — had gathered at the Stillwater home of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, the prosecutor handling the case of former Brooklyn […]
What is — and isn’t — in the House and Senate’s $21 billion education budget bills
The Minnesota House and Senate both passed education budget bills last week after hours of heated debate over funding and policy priorities. The schools budget is a crucial package not only because of its size — it represents roughly 40% of the two-year, $52 billion state budget — but also because of its role in […]
Federal health regulators urge states to restart use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
WASHINGTON — A federal advisory panel on Friday recommended that states return to using the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, but also hand out updated fact sheets that will warn about the rare blood clots in women that paused the vaccine’s use. Top U.S. health officials swiftly acted on the recommendation by the panel, […]
GOP Senate majority leader cancels plans for stand-alone hearing on police accountability
Senate Republicans have cancelled plans to hold a stand-alone hearing on police accountability measures, the Republican Senate majority leader announced Thursday. In the wake of the Brooklyn Center police killing of Daunte Wright, Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, last week said he was “committed” to holding hearings. “We’re committed to having hearings,” he […]
Minnesota to receive $8 million in federal aid for homeless students
Minnesota will receive more than $8.6 million in federal relief funds for students experiencing homelessness, the White House announced Friday. The American Rescue Plan directs $800 million to schools to identify and provide services to homeless students. States will receive a portion of the funding this month and the remainder in June. “As districts and […]